Benefits
by The Atomic Cafe
Summary: MacStella. Stella held two tickets that cost too much and looked at a phone that rang too little.


Stella held two tickets that cost too much and looked at a phone that rang too little. Her hair was smoothed back, the curls tamed enough to make herself look at though she hadn't just gotten off a long shift. She only had enough time to jump into the shower, put handfuls of gel in her hair, and put on her dress. It was a smooth dress, one that she had bought months before for tonight.

The collar folded over itself in a v-neck, dotted with small rhinestones. Closer to her waist, the rhinestones joined closer and closer together. It was painful to wear when she shifted, but she couldn't help but want it when she saw the black fabric and the back of the dress.

Frankie had been with her in the store that day. He stood right at her side, pointing at each of the dresses, making some comment. She knew that he didn't want to be there, but once he saw her try on at least ten of the dresses they chose, he didn't seem to mind.

First, she slipped into a light purple dress with a thick shoulder on one side and a tampered waist. Frankie looked her over, nodding his approval. Stella took one look at his face and tried on another, just to see it again. A shoulder less tan dress. The same face. A blue dress with no sleeves and a thin collar. The same face again.

She and Frankie had looked at their tickets to the benefit dinner at the Museum of Natural History. Frankie paid for both of them, kissing her and telling her that she needed a break from work sometime.

Then came the shooting and the downfall of that plan.

Stella couldn't look at the tickets without feeling guilty. She had to, though. What was the point of having them otherwise? She could have just thrown them away, but instead…

She heard a knock at the door and perked up. Passing a mirror, she touched her hair and her dress, making sure there was nothing missing. Once she finished, she opened the door.

Mac stood there, not wearing the bowtie and suit she expected. He had on a tie now that went well with his pale blue shirt. She could only look at the smile on his face, which turned to awe before her very eyes.

"Wow," he said dumbly, looking at her hair and dress. "You're -"

"Good for just getting off work?" she asked, grinning. "I'm tired, but I'm not letting these tickets go to waste."

"I would have said 'beautiful' if you gave me the time." He smiled at her, noticing the blush creeping onto her face. "We should get going." He held out a hand.

Stella stared at his hand for a moment, unable to understand what Mac was doing. He had never done anything, in the time she had known him, to initiate any sort of touching. She slowly took his hand as though asking for permission and let herself be led out of her apartment and into the hall.

"You manage to finish that case?" Stella asks Mac and feels stupid for saying it. It isn't work - it's supposed to be… a date? No, that was with Frankie. This was asking a friend to join her.

Mac shook his head. "I can do that tomorrow."

Stella blinked again. Mac letting her touch his hand. Mac skiving off work. What next? Mac dancing the Macarena during the benefit? She grinned at the image of him suddenly standing up and pulling maracas out of nowhere.

Mac glanced at her. Stella bit the inside of her cheeks, trying to stop herself from laughing. "I think it was the Maynard man. Did you notice his expression the entire time?"

She waited for Mac's usual "Think with your head, not your heart", but it never came. Instead, he made a strange motion as though his shoulders were playing a calm game of badminton with his head. "Maybe," he answered.

Stella couldn't understand anything going through his head. "You know," she said slowly, "that's called intuition."

"I know that." Mac looked at her as if she was crazy. "My vocabulary goes beyond 'epithelial' and 'blood splatter'."

She stared blankly at him. "You hate intuition."

"Everything has its perks." Mac shifted his hold on Stella so that he held her hand tightly in his own. "Traffic's bad, by the way."

Stella put one hand on her hip and used the other to anchor Mac in place. He stopped and glanced at her curiously. "Are you on drugs right now?" she asked with a straight face.

Mac shrugged. "No. It's a nice night, though. I got out of work early for once. I'm spending a night with you, and I'm not going to have to think about the wreckage Danny's going to leave the lab in. Not quite drugs." He smiled at her.

Tilting her head, Stella looked him over for a moment. He didn't look sick. "If it's such a nice night…" She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Then I suppose I ought to thank you."

His smile widened slightly, but he had no other reaction. "Traffic's bad," he repeated._Damn the traffic,_ Stella thought_. Just walk me back to my apartment and let's stay together tonight. "_Better hurry up then," she said instead, tightening her hold on his hand.


End file.
